When You Come Back to Me Again
by cg's-gal-72689
Summary: Vaughn goes back to LA and finds he can't do anything and Lauren reluctantly puts her plot into action to make sure Vaughn stays completely occupied.
1. Morning and Mourning

AN: Hey everyone. I used to have an account on here and then I just left for a while and am now starting to write more again. This is an idea I thought up in my Social Studies class, when I was supposed to be listening. Sydney loves Vaughn, Vaughn loves Sydney, and Vaughn loves Lauren. Just wait, you ain't seen nothing yet. It will be S/V, but not for a while because I got quite a bit to set up first. Please review, good or bad I can take it. Have fun!  
  
I wish he'd never come. Sure, I'd be dead right now, but it'd be better. Had I gotten shot, my pain would be gone. I said goodbye to the one person that mattered and I was ready to die. Even if I had just gotten shot, and Vaughn had lived, it would be okay. He could go on with his life. I would really be dead this time.  
But now I'm here, alive, wishing I could go away again. Wishing that I hadn't erased my own memory and had just stayed gone. I even found myself thinking about leaving again. Possibly become a freelance agent and take down the Covenant alone. It was a crazy thought, but the situation then would be better than the one now.  
My clock buzzed and I looked over. 5:00 a.m. I had a debrief at 7:00. Sadly, it was time to get up. I pushed off the bed I had finally adjusted to and rolled to my feet. Next I sauntered to the shower and set the dial as hot as it could get. It was as Will had once said: I washed my pain away. The hot water began to flow down my back and over my body.  
Showers are usually the best places to think. All you hear is the rush of the water in your hair, nothing more. But silence was killing me right now. It let my mind wander to a place it shouldn't be. Instead of complying with the stillness, I clicked on my shower radio, which turned out to only make things worse. It was the early morning, when stations played those cheesy write-in radio shows where people apologize for their pure stupidity. But the letter this time wasn't cheesy. In fact, it struck close to home.  
  
Radio Announcer: Now this letter comes to us from Maggie in Crystal Lake Illinois. Dear Love Notes, my boyfriend and I dated for a year and were so in love. Then, on assignment for my job, which is a retailer for a clothes industry, I had to go to Ireland for 8 months. We kept in contact, and I thought nothing was wrong. But when I got back, I found that he still loved me, but the distance had broken us apart. He was now with someone else. I regret every moment I spent away. Please play Garth Brooks' song When You Come Back to Me Again.  
  
There's a ship out, on the ocean  
  
At the mercy of the sea  
  
It's been tossed about, lost and broken  
  
Wandering aimlessly  
  
And God somehow you know that ship is me  
  
'Cause there's a lighthouse, in the harbor  
  
Shining faithfully  
  
Pouring its light out, across the water  
  
For this sinking soul to see  
  
That someone out there still believes in me  
  
On a prayer, in a song  
  
I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on  
  
Raining down, against the wind  
  
I'm reaching out 'til we reach the circle's end  
  
When you come back to me again  
  
There's a moment we all come to  
  
In our own time and our own space  
  
Where all that we've done, we can undo  
  
If our heart's in the right place  
  
On a prayer, in a song  
  
I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on  
  
Raining down, against the wind  
  
I'm reaching out 'til we reach the circle's end  
  
When you come back to me again  
  
And again I see my yesterday's in front of me  
  
Unfolding like a mystery  
  
You're changing all that is and used to be  
  
On a prayer, in a song  
  
I hear your voice and it keeps me hanging on  
  
Raining down, against the wind  
  
I'm reaching out 'til we reach the circle's end  
  
When you come back to me again  
  
When you come back to me again  
  
At the end of the song, I was sobbing. Absolutely weeping and leaning against the side of the shower. When I heard the phone ringing outside the shower, I quickly wiped my tears, switched off the shower, grabbed a towel, and ran to the phone.  
"Hello?"  
"Sydney?"  
"Dad? It's 5:30."  
"I just wanted to make sure you remembered we had a debrief."  
"Of course I do. Anything else?"  
"Just.I just wanted to know if you were okay."  
"I'm fine, Dad. Thanks, though."  
"I'll see you in a little bit." He hung up and I couldn't help but feel a bit weird. It was sweet of him to call like that, but he never had before. Was it that easy to tell that I was upset when I came back from North Korea? If so, I was losing my touch.  
I quickly dried my hair and went to my closet. Picking out my clothes was simple. I just grabbed my regular black pants, top, jacket, and boots and was set to go. The last step was to apply some makeup and pull my hair up into its usual ponytail and I was ready.  
This is going to be a long day.  
  
AN: So. good? Bad? Please review and tell me if there's anything I should change or if there's anything you like! Thanks! There should be a new chapter up within the next week. 


	2. Leave Me Alone

Chapter Two  
  
Thank you, serendipity112233 and Ms. Vaughn for reviewing. Every review makes a difference. Ms. Vaughn, I know how sad that song is. When I first broke up with my boyfriend, who thankfully I am back with now, it was almost all I listened, and cried to. I heard it the other day and thought that putting it in would work. And, serendipity, thanks for the support. I was actually supposed to be taking notes on the Vietnam War, but this works too. Now, here is chapter two. I gave a name to Dixon's secretary later; you'll know when you get to the part. Enjoy!  
  
As I drove to work, I refused to turn on the radio. That one song had left me almost incapacitated and emotionally exhausted, I didn't need another song to bring me down. But, the silence was deafening. And all I heard were words echoing in my head. Words that kept me up all night. Words that refused to leave me alone.  
  
"In my life, there's only one person." No, Vaughn, don't come into my mind. I don't want to remember. "The only reason I didn't know how to be around you." Stop. Please stop! "Sydney..."  
"NO!" I shouted. When I looked up I saw that I was near the edge of the road. Luckily, nobody was around me. I pulled onto the side of the road, put on my flashers, and put my head in my hands. "Why won't you leave me alone? I don't want you in my head." I let out a sigh and leaned back in my seat. "You told me that when I died, you used to talk to me. Look how our positions have reversed." No, I told myself, don't let him take you over. Don't lose it now. "I can't do this anymore. I can't sit here and pretend I don't love you." And that's when it came to me. I knew what I had to do. Quickly, I put the car into drive again and headed right for headquarters.  
I was determined as I walked in. I couldn't stop to talk to anybody. This had to end now. Before heading to Dixon's office, I dropped my purse off at my desk.  
"Sydney." I heard someone call. As I looked up, I saw it was Lauren. She didn't look happy.  
"Lauren, hi, can I talk to you later? I need to talk to Dixon."  
"No, I need to talk to you now." I had never seen her this angry.  
"Okay."  
"Don't think I'm naïve, Sydney. I'm not blind."  
"Lauren, I."  
"You know what I'm talking about. I know what happens when you think you're going to die. I've been there a couple of times. So I'm going to say this once and you better hear me well. Stay away from my husband." She turned on her heel and headed for her desk. When Vaughn came around the corner, she plastered on a smile and went to him.  
The tears that had hit me in the shower began to come back. The aching I had felt in the car was now a strong tearing. I turned away from them and half ran to Dixon's office. He was just coming out of his door when I saw him.  
"Dixon."  
"Syd, are you okay?"  
"No, I'm not. I need to talk to you." He nodded and checked his watch.  
"Go into my office and wait there. I'll have everyone informed that the briefing will be pushed back." I nodded and pushed open the door. Then, I half collapsed on his couch and rested my head in my hands once again. When I heard the door push open again, I looked up. "Sydney, what's going on?"  
"I would like to request a transfer." Dixon looked dumbstruck. "Not from this office. I. I just can't have Vaughn as my partner anymore."  
"What happened in North Korea?"  
"Am I talking to Director Dixon or just Dixon?"  
"Syd, you know me. You can tell me anything."  
"I'm not even sure I can tell it, but I'll try." I swallowed hard and began. "We found Lisenker, but Sark was talking to him, claiming to be CIA. The Covenant must have intercepted something about him becoming a defector. We stopped Sark and I held a knife to him. Vaughn made a plan that we would take Lisenker and Sark would live. Some Korean military men showed up. Sark had alerted them to our presence. He made a scene, ran off, and we were caught. They took us to a jail and pushed us against the wall. Vaughn refused to talk, so they beat him." I swallowed again. "I was sarcastic with them, so they beat me, too. I fell to the ground, clutching the wall. Lisenker said we were CIA, that he would talk. They took him away. I was bleeding from my cheek. Vaughn from his temple and arm. And he comforted me. He let me lean on his shoulder." Tears started to fall down my cheeks. "He started saying that we weren't going to get out of this. There was no way to break out. We were in cuffs and chains. As best we knew, we were dead. And he." I stopped talking. I couldn't go on.  
"Sydney."  
"I'm okay. You know when you're dying, you want to make things clear. Like me, if I knew I was going to die, I would want to go to Sloane and tell him how much I despise him. And tell my dad that I loved him. Vaughn decided that he had something to say as well." I was back to sobbing. "But we lived, Dixon. We weren't supposed to leave North Korea! On the way home we didn't speak, but it was a silent agreement that nothing happened. We would never speak of it again. And now Lauren came to me, like she knows what happened, and told me to stay away. I couldn't agree more."  
"You two work well together. It's because of you that we now have a Covenant defector."  
"I love him, Dixon!" Then, I just broke down crying. Dixon came to my side and put his arm around my back. "I.I can't do this anymore. Please understand."  
"Say no more. I'll get on the phone right now and see what I can do. I'll tell Jackie to keep people out of my office for a while. Stay as long as you want." He started for the door.  
"Dixon!" He turned back. "Thank you so much."  
"Sydney, you are my closest friend. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you." In that moment, he could not have known how grateful I was. There would be so much to say. My father wouldn't care, but Vaughn was going to throw a fit. But it was the right thing to do. At least I think it was.  
  
AN: Yes, there is chapter 2. I guess I just wanted to get into a new side of Sydney, the emotional side we barely see on the show. Next chapter should be up within the next few days. Who knows, maybe I'll make it a little romantic for Valentine's Day. Please review! 


	3. Something I Need You To Know

AN: Okay, folks, here it is, my Valentine's chapter. It doesn't get lovey til the end, so hang tight. Next chapter should be up in a few days. Have fun!  
  
I sat in Dixon's office composing myself for maybe a half hour. Dixon kept his word and nobody came to the office. As I finally stood to leave, my father walked into the room.  
"Dad."  
"Sydney, how are you doing? Dixon told me what happened."  
"I'm okay. I just can't be with Vaughn anymore. I'm sorry I didn't come to you. Especially since you called this morning to check on me."  
"It's fine. He was the right person to talk to."  
"Thank you." He raised his hand, which concealed my purse.  
"I thought you might want to freshen up before you went to debrief." I felt like I could cry again.  
"Dad, you are so great. Thank you again."  
"Anytime, Sydney." I leaned forward and hugged him, something that was becoming more and more familiar to me. To think that 4 years ago we could barely speak. I heard the door push open and turned to face it. Dixon was back.  
"Okay, I've talked with Langley. They say that they're not sure how to keep Vaughn on the Covenant issue and not have him be your partner, but they're on it. Tomorrow they are sending an agent from there to be your new partner."  
"Wait... A new one this soon? Will I be able to have a day or two off?"  
"Of course. She'll come here, get introduced to the staff and facilities and be fully briefed by the time you're back."  
"She? I get a female partner?"  
"Do you object to that?"  
"No, I'm thrilled. I've never had a female partner."  
"I'm glad you get to do this, then."  
"I'll go get everyone for the briefing. You'll have about two minutes." My dad said. With that he turned and left. I sat back down on the couch and pulled out my compact. Dixon waited patiently as I covered up the trails that had been eroded by tears. When I was sure I looked okay, I put everything back in my purse and looked at Dixon.  
"I'm ready."  
"You do know that I'm required to inform Vaughn about this."  
"Yes. But do me a favor. Tell him after I leave the briefing. Then, he can't corner me here."  
"That's fine." He held the door for me and we both went to the briefing room. Vaughn, Lauren, Marshall, and my father were on one side of the table. I took a seat at the opposite end from Vaughn, across from my dad. Once we all were seated, Dixon began.  
"Thanks to Sydney and Vaughn's work, we now have a Covenant defector in our custody. He has alerted us to a facility the Covenant is using to hold some of their documents. In these documents are plans to start Covenant cells in major countries. Now, this facility is on the island of Java, in Jakarta. We'll be sending you two in to get the information from this facility." He slid Vaughn and I red folders containing the mission specs. "You'll need to be at Dover in 2 hours. That's all. Vaughn, can I talk to you after for a second?" I didn't even stay to hear the answer. I went right to my desk, grabbed my coat and purse, and sprinted for the door. I refused to even look up, due to the fear that Lauren could come back for another punch at me.  
Once home, I packed, and rolled my suitcase to the front door. Then, I saw that I still had another hour before I had to leave. I was afraid to turn on the radio, even scared to turn on the TV in fear that I might lose my willpower again and have another breakdown. Two was enough for one day, thank you. What I needed was something that required focus and my whole mind. I needed to take a run.  
I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, threw on my tennis shoes, and headed out the door. Turning left at the corner, I started for the beach. There would be enough noise there to drown out my thoughts. My feet flew and my ponytail tossed and I ran. It was a nice day. Not too hot, but not to cold either. There were a few people on the beach, but not too many. Luckily, Vaughn and I had no beach memories. Nothing for me to dote upon.  
I checked my watch and saw that it was time to go home. 30 minutes had passed too quickly. I sped home and got ready to leave again. I decided to change into jeans and a red turtleneck I liked to wear because it would be more comfortable. One last look at the clock told me that I should leave in 10 minutes. But wait; if I left now, I would get to the plane before Vaughn. And I could avoid a confrontation. Perfect.  
I got in my car and headed right for Dover field. The plane was waiting there on the runway, set to take Vaughn and me halfway around the world. And, sure enough, Vaughn's car wasn't there. I had beaten him. Once my car was parked, I headed for the plane. When I got to the steps, a black- haired woman greeted me.  
"You must be Miss Bristow."  
"Yes, I am."  
"I'm Ashley Moyer. I'm the co-pilot for the flight."  
"Nice to meet you. Has Agent Vaughn arrived yet?"  
"No, not yet."  
"Alright, I believe I'll go get settled in."  
"That's fine." I smiled at her and then headed back to the cabin. The seat in the back looked good, so I walked to it and set down my bags. Then, I pulled out my new book, The Da Vinci Code, and my C.D. player. Anything that would discourage conversation with Vaughn.  
Right as I turned on my C.D., I saw Vaughn walk in. I turned my eyes back to my book and refused to even look at him. He set his stuff down near the front of the cabin and looked my way. No, I told myself, don't fall for it. Don't look into his eyes and get lost like you used to. Don't let yourself think of how much you love him. Don't tell him... Read, dang it, read. But now he was headed towards me. There was no denying it, there was going to be a fight, and it was one that I didn't want to have.  
His cell phone began to ring, which stopped him in his tracks. Thanks be to whoever was calling. But, when I saw the way he reacted, I knew it was Lauren. Never mind the thanks. He sat down in the nearest seat and started talking. I decided to eavesdrop a little, so I paused my C.D. player and listened in.  
"Hey." He paused to listen. "Yeah, she's already here." Ah, I entered the conversation so soon. "Yes, I know. Lauren, Lauren, I know." I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but it probably had something to do with me. "Okay, I'll talk to you when the mission is complete. Love you, bye." I quickly turned my C.D. player back on and acted as if nothing had happened. But, Vaughn was heading for me again and I had nowhere to turn.  
"Sydney." He called to me, but I gave no reply. I wouldn't reply. I couldn't let myself fall into him. "Sydney, I know you can hear me, so I want you to talk." Still nothing. Stay strong, Syd, don't give in. Finally, though, he got impatient. He pulls my book away and presses the stop button on my C.D. player. "Why are you doing this?"  
"What, Vaughn, four days ago you were using a book as a decoy. Why is it wrong for me to do the same?"  
"I mean the request, Syd."  
"Vaughn, no, I do not want to discuss this!"  
"What happened in North Korea was..."  
"I know. It was just a mistake because we thought we were going to die. I've run over it about a million times in my head. And those million times are just a million too many."  
"Don't think I haven't thought about it too."  
"Yeah, but Vaughn, you are MARRIED! Why the heck do you think I asked for a change? I can't be around you."  
"But..."  
"Vaughn, every time I'm around you, I get hazy. I don't think straight and it's hurting me. I half drove off the road earlier, and that can't be happening."  
"Sydney, do you know how it feels to be torn between two worlds?"  
"Yes, I do, and it's a pain. Which is why I say this. I won't be the other woman. I won't be the one your wife hates. Now she told me to leave you alone, so I will comply with her wishes." Why did I say that? I should never have said that.  
"She said what?"  
"Nothing, Vaughn, just please, know that I'm doing this to help you."  
"Sydney, I want you as my partner, we do good work."  
"Vaughn, forget me. In a week I won't be your partner and you will be doing other work. Just forget me."  
"That's impossible. I can't. Syd, for the million times you think of me, there's ten times that in my head. I don't know if it is possible, but I'm in love with two women at once."  
"Don't you say that."  
"It's true."  
"NO! Vaughn, God, don't you get it. Remember how things were when you thought I was dead? Go back to that! Make me dead to you! It'd be better off that way."  
"No, it wouldn't be. Do you know what it was like for me then? I wanted to die too. Just like I do now."  
"You don't have to. I've taken care of everything. I'll get a new partner and you'll probably be working with Lauren."  
"Sydney, stop talking for one moment and listen to what I want to tell you. I've missed you more than anything since you died. Lauren, Lauren was just a nice face after a low period. If you knew what was going on in my life, you'd understand."  
"Vaughn..."  
"Nope, your turn to listen. Since you left, there hasn't been a day that I haven't thought of you. And since you've come back, there hasn't been a moment I haven't thought of you. Sydney, you need to know that what I'm telling you is true. I never got to tell you before you died, and now that I have you back, I want to tell you. I love you.  
  
AN: Yes, so there it is, my great Valentine's chapter (posted about 20 minutes before the end of Valentine's day). The next chapter will be the end of the argument and the mission (which will probably be completely different than what will be in the episode tomorrow.) But please review. Thanks!! 


	4. No Question About It

Chap 4  
  
AN: Hey! I want to thank all you reviewers for your support. You don't know how great it is to get such kind reviews. Thanks again, I love you all! And, I am sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up. This week has been hectic. I'm in a musical at my school and it's Tech Week. Bear with me.  
  
And, a quick message to neptunestar: Now, don't go posting reviews like that and reading my mind. Sydney's a smart girl; she knows what to do. And I'm thinking along the lines you are. So, congrats for being a psychic and knowing what I was going to write.  
  
Okay, on with the story.  
  
RECAP: "Nope, your turn to listen. Since you left, there hasn't been a day that I haven't thought of you. And since you've come back, there hasn't been a moment I haven't thought of you. Sydney, you need to know that what I'm telling you is true. I never got to tell you before you died, and now that I have you back, I want to tell you. I love you."  
  
"I love you. And I have always loved you."  
"Vaughn, you don't know how much I wish I could say I feel the same, but I can't. You just said goodbye to your wife, to whom you also said I love you. The request is final, and there is nothing that could change my mind. Nothing. My new partner is coming in from Langley in two days. I'll be taking three days off, and then she will be fully instated. After that, I don't know what will happen with you, but I wish you luck. Please, leave me be. We already have the mission specs and I know you already know them. We still have about 10 hours until we're in Jakarta. All I can ask you to do is honor my request." Vaughn didn't say a word. It had been his once chance to convey how he felt and Sydney had shot him down. His heart was breaking, but he had to respect her wishes.  
"Yes." He said simply. And as he stalked back to his seat, I felt my stomach drop. As calmly as I could, I walked to the bathroom. Then, though, I couldn't hold it in anymore. Right as the door closed I fell to my knees and threw up. Once I had finished, I sat back against the wall. I didn't want to feel like this. I wanted to tell Vaughn how much I loved him and missed him and wished I could hold him again. But I couldn't give in to him. He would take over my mind and cause me to think what I shouldn't. How would I survive this mission?  
Brrrriiiiing!! Brrrriiiiing! My cell phone rang in my pocket. I fumbled around for a second and then retrieved it.  
"Hello?"  
"Sydney, it's me." My father's voice resounded through the phone.  
"Hi Dad."  
"I wanted to see how you were doing." He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.  
"I'm all right. I'm in the bathroom. Vaughn and I... had an argument."  
"Well, Dixon just got word that your new partner will be in tonight. You can meet her tomorrow when you get back. Her name is Amy Kristian. She's 27 and one of the highest ranked agents in her field."  
"Sounds good. Where will she be staying?"  
"Dixon is getting a hotel for her for now. We'll just see how long she stays."  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
"She does still have some obligations in D.C. If she is summoned back, she will have to go."  
"What if she is summoned? Would Vaughn be my partner again?"  
"Possibly. We'll have to see."  
"Okay, I guess we'll cover that if it happens. For now I think I'm going to go rest."  
"Yeah, that sounds good. Call me if anything comes up." In other words, if Vaughn comes anywhere near you, call me and I'll beat him down.  
"Of course, Dad. Thanks."  
"Bye, Sydney." I hung up and slipped the phone back into my pocket. Shaking my head once, I stood up again and looked in the mirror. I had gotten slightly paler, but I still looked fine. I ran my fingers through my hair a few times and silently decided that I was okay. I couldn't let Vaughn know I was upset. He had the crazy ability to see through me in a way no one else ever had. In fact, back before we had even gotten together, he had been able to read me like a book.  
  
***Flashback*** It had been a horrible day. I had a fight with Francie and then had to go to SD-6 for a meeting. Sloane had a mission, but had decided to just send Dixon. I was so mad. Now, I was supposed to meet Vaughn for a counter mission, which I didn't need since there was no mission. The funny thing is, I usually looked forward to my moments with Vaughn. Yes, he was taken, but that didn't mean I couldn't like him. I slapped a smile on my face and walked into the warehouse. When I saw Vaughn leaning against the chain fence, the smile on my face was no longer fake. "Sorry I'm late. Sloane ran over on the briefing." "It's no problem. Don't worry." He looked at me and my eyes met his. "What's wrong?" "What are you talking about?" "Something's wrong, I can tell." "I'm fine." There was a long silence. "I promise, I'm fine." "Ok. So what's the mission?" I exhaled deeply. "I knew it, something's wrong." "Sloane won't tell me what the mission is. He just sent Dixon. The only reason I was called in this morning was to find that out." "That's all?" How did he do that? "No. Francie and I had a fight earlier. She was upset because we made plans for next week, but I had to cancel because of a meeting. She thinks I work for an overpowering bank." "I'm sure it will turn out okay. From what you've told me, I can tell she's a good person." "Thanks, Vaughn." "But, Syd, just tell me next time." "I just felt that it was unimportant." "That doesn't mean you have to lie. You promised you were fine and you're not. And this is an insane job we have to do. Don't compartmentalize like that. You could do some permanent damage." ***End Flashback***  
  
I was sad to admit it, but he had been right. Holding in all my emotions right now was doing some serious damage. Had I not just gotten sick? But it always seemed there was one thing that gave away that I was upset. Eye contact. If I didn't lock eyes with him, I would be fine. I took one last breath and walked back to my seat. His eyes were on me the moment I entered the cabin again, but I avoided them. I sat facing away from him, put my C.D. player back on, and reached for my book. But I didn't feel like reading my book. I guess I could just look over the mission specs again.  
  
Mission Location: Jakarta, Java, Indonesia Mission Objective: Locate and retrieve a vial of genetically targeted poison. Gain access to the computer network and destroy programming for poison. Layout of building: See scan of building. Infiltrate on lower level and proceed to basement. Use splicing clip to get into security system. Shut down cameras and laser system. Agent Bristow will then proceed to the hallway to the left and will proceed to the vault. Use scanner to break in and retrieve vial. Agent Vaughn will take the right hallway and head to the computer login area. Break onto system and copy information on the genetically targeted poison. Then delete all files and leave area. Rendezvous at entrance ASAP and leave the premises.  
  
Easy enough, right? To put it crudely, it was a smash and grab job. My kind of work. The problem was, I couldn't focus. And not focusing meant someone was going to get hurt. I didn't want it to be him. But I didn't want it to be me. A fear began to grow inside me and it was then that I came to terms with my emotions. I may never be with Vaughn again. And it would slowly but surely kill me inside. I loved him. If it comes down to his life or mine, there will be no question about it. His well-being comes before mine. 


	5. All Right

AN: Hey everyone! I am glad (and sad) to say that my musical is over, and overjoyed to say that a huge project I had to do is done, so I am back to having a life! I'm going to be focusing on my writing for a while, and working very hard on this story, so hopefully it will only get better. I'm attempting to put in both sides of the Alias story, the missions and the personal aspects, so I hope I am hitting as best I can. Thanks to everyone for the great reviews!  
  
"This is White Rabbit (my new codename I had chosen since coming back. Mountaineer was out of date). I'm at the vault. Am I clear to open it?"  
"Yeah, you're good." Weiss's voice came through the speaker in my ear.  
"Where's Marshall?"  
"He just left. Carrie is having the baby."  
"Seriously? Good timing."  
"You're telling me. I just had to marry them."  
"Wait, what?" He laughed.  
"Carrie wanted to be married before she had the baby."  
"That's one way to do it."  
"I was ordained by the Church of Mammals or something. So weird."  
"Okay, well, I'm using the code to get in. How's Boy Scout doing?"  
"He's in and in the process of deleting the files."  
"Well then, I'll talk to you once I have the poison." I shut off my microphone and focused on the vault in front of me. It needed an eight- digit code to get in. I pulled out my line and decoder and attached it to the lock. Instantly the eight numbers came up. But I was skeptical about if it was true. "Base Camp, this is White Rabbit again. Did Marshall leave any notes on the security system?"  
"Just to put in the eight numbers and use the scanner to shut down the anti-intrusion lasers."  
"Okay, then I'm going radio silent again." The code was 39745347. I pressed the numbers in that order and heard a beep. The door to the vault swung open, revealing a single, green vial of liquid. I opened my pack again and pulled out the scanner. It was just like a laser pointer, but about three inches wide. I pressed the on button and let the lasers trace the outline of the vault. Once I heard a second beep, I knew that I was clear to take the vial out. Once retrieved, I put the vial into my pack and headed off for the exit. "Base Camp, mission complete. I have the poison and am heading for the entrance."  
"Copy you, White Rabbit. Boy Scout should be on his way." I nodded and took off running. The hallways passed quickly and I soon found myself back where Vaughn and I had entered the building. But Vaughn wasn't there. It was possible that he was just taking his time, but that didn't seem like him.  
Ten minutes later and nothing. I couldn't help but think something had gone wrong.  
"Base Camp, this is White Rabbit. Where is Boy Scout?" No reply. "Base Camp? Do you read?"  
"They can't hear you. I cut the feed about five minutes ago." A snide, cocky, British accent entered my ear. "And I assume you are looking for your dear Mr. Vaughn?"  
"Sark. Or should I say Julian? Which do you prefer?"  
"Do not mock me, Sydney, Vaughn's life may hang in the balance. You don't know what's going on back here."  
"Please, don't hurt him. Just tell me what you want."  
"Well, first I want you to know about the poison you have in your pack. As you have been told, it is a genetically targeted poison and you are supposed to bring it back to the CIA for analysis. You have no need. Mr. Vaughn was already able to see who the target is. That is why we had to apprehend him."  
"So, what do you want?"  
"An associate of mine is coming to meet you. Follow her and you will find me. We will negotiate then." I heard his voice cut off and knew he was gone. And, as he said, right then a woman, assumedly since he said it was a her, walked around the corner. She had a black mask covering here face.  
"Who are you?" She didn't say a word. She just turned around and headed in the direction she had come from. I followed her, not saying another word. We went through a maze of hallways, turning left and right and left again until we reached a door. She opened it and motioned for me to walk through first. Knowing that Vaughn was in danger, I went.  
"Ah, Sydney, it's been too long."  
"Yes, I believe the last time we met I was holding a knife to your..."  
"Let's not go there." He said sharply. I noticed the girl begin to snicker by the door. When I turned back to Sark, I saw behind him. Vaughn was tied to a chair, knocked out, with a blindfold on his eyes and a gag in his mouth.  
"What do I have to do to make you let him go?"  
"Give me the poison."  
"Tell me who it targets and I will give it to you."  
"You."  
"Excuse me?"  
"The poison is meant for you. This is my mansion and I set this whole thing up."  
"But why? All you will achieve from this is that I know I am a target and Vaughn and I will leave."  
"No, you won't. I said I would let Vaughn go, but I didn't say I would let you two leave the building. My dear partner and I have some plans still." I was mad. There was still a chance that they could kill Vaughn, and me as well.  
"Let Vaughn go and I will stay. I will give you the poison and do whatever else you want me to do, but let him leave."  
"I told you, we have plans still to complete. And we need you both here." I had to comply. I took the vial from my pack and handed it to Sark. He quickly cut the ties that held Vaughn and he fell to the floor. I flew to Vaughn's side and lifted his head onto my lap.  
"What did you do to him?"  
"Mild sleeping potion. He should only be out for a bit longer." As I cradled Vaughn's head, I shot a glance at the mysterious woman. Her eyes, which were the only feature I could see, held a look of anger and betrayal.  
  
"Who is she?"  
"Ah, darling, do you think we should reveal your identity?" Her head tilted in Vaughn's direction. "He probably won't believe her anyway." But she shook her head. "Ah, I guess you are right. We'll save the surprise for later." He looked at her again, this time almost longingly, but then shook his head. "I'll be back for you later." The way her eyes glowed made me know she was anticipating his return already. I decided this was the moment to ask what I had wanted to for a while.  
"Is Allison dead?" A scowl crept onto his face.  
"Yes, when Will stabbed her, he cut her heart open. Not even the Rambaldi solution could save her. I'm sure he'll be glad to hear it."  
"Actually, her death meant nothing to him. It just made him feel empty."  
"Well, then we are both at a loss. I have moved on."  
"So you're sure there's no way I can get you to release Vaughn?" He nodded and motioned for me to follow, which I did. He grabbed Vaughn and slung him roughly over his shoulder. He lead me through a door in the back, down three flights of stairs, through more hallways and finally to a metal door. I walked into the room, followed by Sark and Vaughn. Sark plopped Vaughn onto the floor and then turned and left. I heard the door bolt behind me and I knew I was going to be here for a while.  
The room was dark, dank, and gloomy. There were no windows or openings to the outside. The only light came from the ceiling, where dying bulbs flickered on and off. As I turned to survey more of the room, heard Vaughn begin to stir. I went to his side and laid his head back on my lap.  
"No! Please, don't hurt her. No!" His forehead was burning up. "Get her somewhere safe." I figured he was talking about Lauren because she was back at home right now. He probably believed she was in danger. My head spun around and landed on one spot. There was a small water spigot on the back wall. I gently laid his head back on the ground and ran to it.  
On the plane I had changed into the normal black outfit, but had put a tank top on under the long sleeve shirt. Now I found myself so glad I did. I took off the top shirt and soaked it with water from the spigot. Once it was mostly filled, I returned to Vaughn's side and began running the wet shirt over his forehead.  
"Please, don't hurt her." He was still mumbling, but he was becoming cooler.  
"Vaughn, wake up."  
"Don't hurt Sydney." I gasped. He hadn't been talking about Lauren. Oh well, I'd handle that later.  
"Vaughn, it's okay. You're safe." In a sense. His eyes opened and he sat up quickly, making our heads knock together. "Ow!" I turned away from him to hold my aching head.  
"Syd?" He placed his hand on my shoulder and I turned back to him. "Oh my God, I'm sorry!"  
"It's all right. Been through worse." I smiled.  
"What happened? I was downloading the info and right after I radioed in, I heard Sark. I started running, but then everything went dark."  
"This whole mission was a setup. This mansion belongs to Sark. He knew we'd be here. I got the poison and got to the entrance. Sark blocked the feed to Weiss and told me that if I didn't come to him, you'd die."  
"Sydney, you should have left."  
"I guess you don't know me that well. I would die before I did that." There was an awkward silence for a moment. I meant it though.  
"You're the target of the poison." He finally said.  
"I know, he told me. I guess I'll be eating only packaged food for a while."  
"You can't be joking about this! Sydney, he could kill you in an instant. He could put that poison into the air and everyone would be fine, except you."  
"He won't use the poison. He'll use it as a bargaining tool to get some bit of information or some artifact we own. I won't die."  
"How can you be sure?"  
"I can't. But I'm not afraid of death and I'm not afraid of him."  
"What are you afraid of?" The silence crept back like a darkening cloud. I stood and turned away from him. "Sydney, what are you afraid of?"  
"Not now, Vaughn."  
"Syd."  
"You know what I'm afraid of. You have no need to ask."  
"Say it." I heard the words echoing in my head. Words I had said to him long ago. 'I'm not afraid of a lot. But I'm afraid of losing you.' When Vaughn had been investigated for researching my mother's actions, we had had a long talk before going back to the Joint Task force. It was then that I had expressed my one of only a few things that scared me. He made it worse by saying 'If you never see me again, it was fun.' It had angered me because, at that moment, I was the most scared I had ever been. When I had come back and found out that he was married, my worst fear had come true. And he knew it.  
"We've gone over this, Vaughn." I walked to the spigot and cupped some water in my hands. As I rinsed it over my face, I tried to figure out a way that I wouldn't have to talk to Vaughn for a long time. Like until we got home. I shook my head and turned back towards where Vaughn was sitting. But he wasn't sitting anymore. He was standing right behind me. So close that as I turned, there was very little room between us. "Vaughn, no."  
"I meant what I said."  
"I know. But we...you can't."  
"Syd, things are going wrong between me and Lauren. It was only a matter of time."  
"Things weren't going wrong until I came back. If I were still with the Covenant, you'd still be happy."  
"I was tormented when you were gone. Knowing that I had been the last person with you before you died. That if I had stayed with you that night, things would have been different."  
"You can't change the past."  
"But I can change my future."  
"Vaug..." He didn't let me finish. Instantly his arm was around my back and he was kissing me. I told myself to fight it, but my heart wouldn't let me. What was it about jail cells that did this to us? Suddenly, my arms were around his neck and I was kissing him back. 'Sydney, what are you doing?' My thoughts were screaming at me. But, for one of the first times, I wasn't going to listen to them. When we finally pulled apart, I noticed that tears had started to run down my face. "Vaughn, I..."  
"Shhh, Syd. Everything's gonna be all right." Funny thing is, I believed him.  
  
AN: Okay, to all you saying "Wait, that shouldn't be happening! That's wrong!" Etc... Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Just go with me for a while and I think you'll like it. :-D Oh, and just a side note, that part about the fear thing with Syd and her saying the fear thing to Vaughn, I made that up for the story. I felt it added a real strong emotional moment for Syd and Vaughn. Please review and comment on the story. I should have the next chapter up in less than a week, but we'll see what happens. 


	6. A Matter of Time

Chap 6  
  
AN: Hey again! May I say that all of you rock! Seriously, you are so nice in your reviews. I couldn't ask for a better audience for my story. Now, this chapter will be a little different. Okay, a lot different. This will start in Lauren's POV. Let me restate that so you don't get confused. This chapter will start in LAUREN'S POV! Of course, after a minute you'll probably be able to tell. Here goes! Oh yeah, if this seems out of place, tell me and I won't put anything in like it again.  
  
As soon as Sark had taken them away, I removed my mask. Ah, fresh air. It had almost been suffocating to be in the room with my knocked out husband, the man I actually liked, and the woman hell-bent on ruining my mission. Sydney Bristow was a wretch and was going to be my downfall. Maybe. She might get a bit tamer now that we had a poison that could kill her in moments. Just the thought gave me chills.  
I walked to the next room and looked at the monitor that showed what was going on in the cell. Sark was entering just as I began to watch. He dumped Vaughn on the floor and left. He would be back up here in a minute or so. I watched as little fawn-eyed Sydney looked around the room. Soon, Michael began to stir and Sydney rushed to his side. What a baby! I didn't know whether to be upset or laugh my head off. As I tried to decide my actions, the door opened behind me.  
"So, how's the show?" Sark asked.  
"Pathetic. He stirs once and she runs to his side. You'd think she loved him or something."  
"Ah, yes, it is a mystery. But, not a problem. We'll work out those two later." He slipped an arm around my waist and softly kissed my neck. "Let's leave them alone."  
"What if they get close again in their little cell there? This could totally ruin my cover!"  
"If they do indeed get close, I have a plan to break them up very quickly."  
"And what would that be?" He smirked.  
"I'll explain it. Later. Now, it's late. Time to get some sleep."  
"I do love it when you're diabolical. But for some reason I don't believe you have sleep on the brain."  
"I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you darling?"  
"Yes, I will. Go ahead and go upstairs, I'll be there in a moment."  
"Don't be too long."  
"I wouldn't dream of it." He kissed me one last time before leaving again. I turned back to the monitor and saw Sydney at the spigot on the wall washing her face. Interesting. But then my heart began to pound. Vaughn had stood up and was right behind her. I reached over and clicked on the microphones to see what they were saying. "Vaughn, no."  
"I meant what I said."  
"I know. But we...you can't."  
"Syd, things are going wrong between me and Lauren. It was only a matter of time." Oh, I bet. How could he be saying something like that? I had played my part of the loving wife very well in my opinion.  
"Things weren't going wrong until I came back. If I were still with the Covenant, you'd still be happy." At least I would.  
"I was tormented when you were gone. Knowing that I had been the last person with you before you died. That if I had stayed with you that night, things would have been different."  
"You can't change the past."  
"But I can change my future." Oh, how sweet. He's a downright poet.  
"Vaug..." He didn't even let her finish. His arm wrapped around her waist and he kissed her. She didn't protest. Her arms went up and around his neck in an instant. I had had enough. I turned off the monitor and walked out. Sark better have a pretty brilliant idea or else we were in trouble. Big trouble.  
  
***Syd's POV***  
  
It had been minutes now and Vaughn and I had not separated. Now and then I remembered I was kissing a married man, but my other thoughts quickly chased those away. Finally, we broke apart.  
"Syd." I felt my heart almost break to hear him say my name. His tone held such love and longing, it gave me chills. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tighter than I had ever hugged anyone before.  
"I don't wanna let go. I don't want to wake up and find this is all a dream."  
"It's no dream, I'm here."  
"But Vaughn, what about Lauren? I mean... this doesn't feel right."  
"I've already talked with a lawyer. You have to be separated for 6 months before you get a divorce in California."  
"When did you talk with a lawyer?"  
"A week ago, after North Korea."  
"Lauren knows."  
"What are you talking about?"  
"The day I requested the transfer, two days ago, she came to me and told me to stay away from you." He sighed and leaned back against the wall. He then slid down and sat. I followed suit.  
"I don't know how she could have known, but if she does then I guess telling her won't be so hard."  
"It still..."  
"It doesn't feel right because I'm married. And that is only because I was at such a low when you were gone that I never felt I could get back up. Then Lauren came along and she liked me. Weiss and a couple of other guys urged me to go out with her because they didn't want to be picking me up from bars totally wasted like they often did. She took me in, but never allowed me to speak of you. She told me it was because she didn't want me to remember a painful past, but now I believe otherwise. It was her idea to get married, I didn't really think of it. It seemed like the right thing to do. We got married and I was happy, I guess. But it didn't feel right. I figured it would go away. But it never did." I didn't know what to say. How do you respond to that? "Sydney, I just, I didn't want to not get to say what I wanted to say."  
"It's all right, Vaughn."  
"No, because there's still more to say. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry, and that you were right about a lot that I would not admit to."  
"Like..."  
"When you said that I gave up on you. It's true. When you died, I didn't want to love you. I wanted you to be gone because in my head, I heard your voice and it killed me. I left after your funeral for six months and went to a ton of places. Mostly places where we had gone on missions together. I decided I would retrace our steps together and maybe get some closure. The last place I went before coming home was to Rome. To Trattoria de Nardi. After Santa Barbara I was going to take you there. Then I came home. I went to Credit Dauphine, the different places we had met to talk, and I spent a whole lot of time in the warehouse. Once I had been everywhere, done everything, I took everything I had of yours and everything that reminded me of you and put it in a box. Late one night, I drove up to the observatory, which I remembered you said was your favorite place. On the north side, where the two fences meet, I buried the box. And then, I decided I wasn't going to remember you. I wasn't going to look into your death because it would hurt me too much. I did give up."  
"Vaughn, it's okay."  
"I didn't want to go another minute without you knowing."  
"Thank you. You have no idea how much knowing that means to me." After I said that, I kissed him, which was getting more and more familiar to me. The smile on his face when I opened my eyes was so... I didn't even know the word for it. It was perfect. As I smiled, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I leaned on him. "I'm exhausted."  
"I may have been asleep for 30 minutes, but I'm drained too." I snuggled up against his shoulder and closed my eyes. Please let this not be a dream.  
  
***Lauren's POV***  
  
"Remember that brilliant plan of yours?" I asked as I entered the bedroom.  
"We talked about it just a moment ago. How could I forget?" Sark was lying back on the pillows of his bed skimming through a magazine.  
"I'm only asking because we are going to need it. Hubby dearest and Miss CIA just made up in the cell." He sat up.  
"Made up?"  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I meant made out. My mistake." The remark made him laugh.  
"Ah, yes, there we go." I made my way over and sat by his side.  
"So, what's the plan?"  
"There are two plans. Plan A, for if they both stay. Plan B is if Sydney does the inevitable and tries to get Vaughn out of here."  
"Assume A."  
"You will go back to Los Angeles and feign worry for your darling husband. If they continue to get lovey dovey, we will stage a kidnapping and put you in the cell with them. Vaughn will do what he always does and go back to you and Sydney will back off. It is their nature."  
"Okay, assume B."  
"If she succeeds in getting Vaughn out of here, you will be back in LA to welcome him back with open arms. Since Sydney has asked for a transfer, Vaughn is no longer her partner. Talk to Dixon and tell him that since he is off her case, you would like to take a little vacation with hubby dearest."  
"You must be joking!"  
"You both have never taken a sick day, so use those up and go somewhere exotic and keep his mind off Sydney."  
"Meaning..."  
"Yes, I know, I hate it too, but it will help with the mission. And, I'm sorry to say, you will have to take him away for a while. We're talking a few weeks. Enough for Sydney to believe he was lying about truly loving her. Then, when he learns that she is mad at him, he will get mad at her and we shall have a wonderful cycle going on." I couldn't help but be upset.  
"I've been getting used to this so much. Him being away, then me leaving, then him again. He's such a pain." He lightly kissed my forehead and pulled me down so I was lying next to him.  
"I know. But, the sooner we do what we have to do, the sooner we leave the damned Covenant behind us." I sighed.  
"Yes, all too soon." I looked into his eyes. "They chose me, of all people they chose me for the marriage mission."  
"If all goes as planned, Mr. Vaughn will be out of our hair soon and you'll be a free woman again."  
"But sweetheart, who's to say I'm not free now?"  
  
AN: Okay, so in this chapter I really tried to explore the things we don't get to see on the show: Vaughn's real side, his weakness, and a real relationship between Lauren and Sark (yes, I am a "Lark" fan). The show makes their relationship look like just sex and that's it, and I really think there could be more of an in-depth story to them, hence this chapter. Sorry it took so long to get up, my life is insane right now, but a good insane. Please review! 


	7. A Gilded Cage

AN: Okay, here we are at chapter 7. It's short and sweet because there is a lot more that I want to get to in the next few chapters. Please R&R!  
  
The cell was dark. The lights were off, and with there being no windows, there was no natural light. I blinked a couple times and let my eyes adjust to the light. Once I could see, to an extent, I moved my arm around Vaughn. No, Vaughn wasn't there. In fact, he wasn't anywhere.  
"Vaughn?" I called to him, but there was no answer. I began to get anxious. Where was he? Why were the lights off? "Vaughn!" Nothing. There was no sound. I paced across the floor. After pacing for a while I went to the water spigot and washed my face. Still not here. I sat back down and leaned against the wall, just waiting. Waiting for an answer.  
About ten minutes later the door clanked open. The lights turned on and I saw Vaughn shoved in by the masked figure. There were cuts on his face and one across his arm.  
"Vaughn!" I ran to his side as the door slammed shut. His right eye would not open because it was swollen. "What happened?"  
"They...they wanted to know what I saw when I was downloading the specs. When I told them I only saw a little bit, just that you were the target of the poison, they didn't believe me." I went to the water spigot and soaked my sweater in water again. When I returned to him I rinsed his wounds and then set it on his eye. After he protested many times, I got him to lie down. Before continuing to clean his wounds, I lightly kissed his forehead. "What was that for?"  
"You scared me." There was no more speaking until I had cleaned his face of all blood. "What did they do to you?"  
"Just a couple of slaps to the face. I've had worse." I laughed.  
"Haven't we both?"  
"Well, I seem to remember a few months ago having a lamp cord wrapped around my neck..."  
"Vaughn! I had just woken up and found it was two years later and that you were married! You can't blame me!"  
"Oh, Syd, you know I'm just trying to be annoying."  
"You're succeeding." I smiled. "Okay, now the arm."  
"I'm fine."  
"I'm serious! Pardon the innuendo, but take off your shirt."  
"Really..."  
"Now!" He recoiled in false fear.  
"Okay, you win." He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled his sleeve down. The gash was deep.  
"I suppose this was from a slap from Sark's little friend."  
"No, that was what happened after Sark threatened to kill you and I punched him in the face." I was speechless. All I could do is continue to clean him off. Once the gash was wiped off, I wrapped my sweater tightly around it.  
"Well, the good news is you're going to live."  
"What's the bad news?"  
"We're still here."  
"I'm here with you, so it's not bad at all."  
"Aw, Vaughn, stop making me blush." We shared a laugh, but it was quickly cut off. The cell door flew open and banged against the wall. Sark entered and did not look pleased.  
"Well you two, we're going on a little road trip. I'll let you two each use a bathroom upstairs to freshen up and then we'll get on our way. Mr. Vaughn, stay here. I'll bring Sydney up first." Vaughn gave a silent nod and I stood to follow Sark. He led me up three flights of stairs and into a large bathroom. "I believe you will find everything you need in here. Just come out when you're done." I nodded and waited until he left the room. Once he was gone, I walked over to the shower and looked inside. There were about 20 kinds of shampoo and conditioner. Instead of looking around more, I decided it would be better to just shower and get a move on. I turned the water on and instantly it was warm. Nice service. I then proceeded to wash my hair quickly with one of the multiple shampoos. Once I was done, I grabbed one of the many towels from a rack and dried off.  
I went to grab my black mission clothes, only to find that they were gone. In their place was a pair of jeans, a green sweater, and a pair of black boots. They were all my size, too. This day just kept getting more and more interesting. I stepped into my new clothes and then decided to snoop around the cabinets. There was a whole variety of hair products and clips to use. If this weren't Sark's house, I would have called it paradise. I grabbed a black hair clip and pulled my hair up instead of drying it. I took one last look in the mirror and decided that I looked fine.  
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Sark's masked friend was waiting there. She said nothing; just nodded her head and I understood to follow her. She led me down a different stairway to a living room of sorts. It had a few couches and chairs and artwork on the walls. When she closed the door behind me, I figured I would be waiting here until Vaughn was done.  
It was about twenty minutes later that Vaughn and Sark entered the room. Vaughn had new clothes as well. Wherever Sark was taking us, he apparently wanted us to look nice.  
"I believe you have somewhere to be, my love." Sark said to the masked woman. "I'll contact you when the plan is decided." She nodded and headed out the door. "Now, you two, let's go." I stood and walked to Vaughn's side, and then we both followed Sark out the door we had entered. One right turn later, we walked out a door and into a garage. There were 6 different cars in there, including a van, a mustang, and a truck. The car he led us to, though, was a simple four-door Sedan. "Better to be inconspicuous, don't you think?" Sark attempted humor, but it didn't work well. Once he noticed we weren't laughing, he had us get in the back and he got in the front. After we sat, he pressed a button and a glass screen began to rise. "I have some business to attend to." Once the screen was up Vaughn turned towards me.  
"This place is amazing." He said.  
"Yes, a gilded cage."  
"But why is Sark doing this for us?" The car started and the garage door opened.  
"I have no idea. He seems to want us to be comfortable. You think he wants something from us?"  
"He should know that we would never betray the CIA. You would think it was common knowledge."  
"Who knows what may be going through his mind? All I know is that we shouldn't try anything until we're sure we can get away."  
"I agree." The car was now out on the streets. They were almost deserted, with the exception of a beggar or two. "What did you have in mind?"  
"I haven't really thought about it. Give me time." And at that moment I began to get an idea. The door to the right of Vaughn had a lock that you could switch by hand. If it comes down to his life or mine, there will be no question about it. His well-being comes before mine. What I had thought the other day came to my mind again. I knew what I had to do. I scooted close to Vaughn and took his hand. "I love you, Vaughn. Stay safe for me." He looked at me, puzzled by what I was saying. It was then that Sark stopped for a red light.  
"Syd..." In a flash I leaned across Vaughn, popped the lock, and opened the door. Then, I pushed him out onto the street. I watched as he hit the pavement and rolled a few times. The door slammed shut a second later. I looked back a final time and saw that Vaughn had stood up and was watching me drive away. I nodded my head to him, and then turned foreword. I couldn't stand to look back with the mounting sadness in my heart. When I looked back up front, I saw Sark was bringing the screen back down.  
"That took you long enough. I thought you would have done that a while ago." He said, mockingly.  
"As long as he's safe, I don't care what happens to me."  
"That's good, because we've got a long way ahead of us."  
"What do you want me for?"  
"I'm sure when Mr. Vaughn gets to a phone, he will contact the CIA and tell them to come rescue you. By the time they get here, I will have it set up that, unless they bring a specific Rambaldi artifact I am looking for, you will be killed."  
"So why did you capture Vaughn?"  
"Simple, he was along for the mission." He turned left at the next light and then left again when we got about two blocks up.  
"Where are we going?"  
"Back to the house. I only set this whole expedition is so you could find some way to dispose of him. I knew it was on your mind."  
"You're an asshole, you know that?"  
"I tell myself that every morning. It keeps me in my good mood."  
  
AN: Ok, I know it was a short and not really detailed chapter, but Vaughn leaving is essential to the plot coming up. You remember plan B, don't you? The next chapter is going to be what happens after Vaughn gets pushed out of the car in his POV. Let me give you a little preview, Lauren gets quite despicable. Hey, anyone upset that there was no Alias on Sunday? I was very sad. Well, I hope this helps you get through the week! Please review!! 


	8. Please, Forgive Me

Chapter 8  
  
AN: Hello everyone! I've been working in our school talent show (I sang and it was awesome!! I loved it!) But now I am back again! Here is my promised chapter and, like I said before, Lauren is going to be quite despicable! To the point where things will get good. You'll see what I mean sooner or later, in this chapter or one to come. I promise, it will get great. So, this beginning is in Vaughn's POV, right after he was pushed out of the car. Have fun and please review!  
  
Before I could stop her, Sydney reached around me and opened my door. A push to the shoulder and I flew out and onto the pavement. I rolled a couple of times on the street and then up onto the sidewalk. The door slammed shut. I stood up, maybe thinking I could catch the car or maybe just get her to come back. She looked at me once and nodded. I almost felt like crying. Last night, we had confessed our feelings; we had been together. We had admitted to loving each other. I had pretty much ended my marriage. And now that was over.  
All I could do now was find a way to save Sydney. I had no cell phone, but about two blocks back there had been a payphone. I started off in a jog, retracing my steps to the one thing that could save Sydney. When I found it, I grabbed the phone and punched in the number that had been hammered into my head since I had joined the CIA. 242-473-6932-7421. Once that was in, I heard two rings, and then a voice.  
"You've reached Joey's Pizza..." The message began to blare. This message had been the inspiration for the codename Sydney and I used to contact each other when she was a double agent. I began to click the ID number that would get me the LA office. 4774831. "Hello?"  
"This is Agent Michael Vaughn. ID Class Alpha Charlie 283094. Conformation peacekeeper. I need to talk to Director Dixon right now!"  
"I'm connecting you now."  
"This is Dixon."  
"It's Vaughn! I'm in Jakarta. Sydney and I were captured last night and held by Sark. We were heading off for something this morning and Sydney got a door open on the car and pushed me out. Sark still has her. This is the first chance I could check in."  
"Good to hear from you. We've been waiting to get any info we could. Right now, I want you to go to the Sim Ke Airport and get back home. We will have a plane waiting."  
"What about Sydney?"  
"We're setting up a team right now."  
"I want to be on that team."  
"I'm sorry, Vaughn, but with Sydney's new transfer..."  
"She wants to revoke the transfer, I talked to her last night."  
"We have to hear that from here. I'm sorry, Vaughn, but I want you to come back here right now. I'll have Lauren informed that you are safe." He hung up before I could say anymore.  
"Damn." I said to myself. There was nothing I could do. If I knew Dixon, he would keep me off the search team. I would just have to go home and wait. I now had the task of getting to the airport. This was a pretty abandoned area, so finding a taxi would be impossible. There was a phone book in the bottom of the phone booth, so I opened it and began to look. When I found an add with a taxi on it, I figured I had struck something. I called the company and was able to find someone who spoke English. Once I explained where I was, he assured me that a taxi would be there in about 5 minutes.  
I sat down on the curb and just waited. Okay, I didn't just wait, I thought. Where was Sydney? What was Sark doing with her? Why did he even want us anyway? He was working with the Covenant, who had taken Sydney for two years. From what I had found out, though most of it I wasn't supposed to know, they had wanted Sydney to fulfill the Prophecy, which was not about her at all. It was about a child she was supposed to have, made with DNA from Rambaldi himself. Sydney destroyed it all when she torched it, but maybe they still wanted to try something. They were about that messed up, so you couldn't doubt what they could and would do to get their way. She was in so much danger right now, and all she had cared about was getting me out of it.  
As I sighed, I saw the taxi pull around the corner. I stood up and waved to get his attention. The car pulled up and I got in.  
"Sim Ke Airport." I said simply. I didn't know if he knew English or not, so I didn't want to push it. I just had to wait until we got there. When I started to hear the roar of engines, I knew we were close. Sure enough, a mile ahead was the Sim Ke Airport. And there on the private airstrip was a jet, which I knew was for me to take. When we drove up to the plane, a man stepped out and opened my door.  
"Agent Vaughn, I'm Agent Christiansen. I'll pay for your cab. Go ahead and board. Once everything is set, we'll take off."  
"Have you talked to Director Dixon?"  
"A couple minutes ago. Why?"  
"Did he say anything about the retrieval of Agent Bristow?"  
"They are orchestrating something as we speak. Apparently right after you called, the CIA received a call from Sark. He's offering Sydney in return for a Rambaldi artifact."  
"What's the catch?"  
"The meeting will be at his place, here. But, if he tests the artifact and it's fake, Sydney dies."  
"Oh gosh!"  
"I'm sure things will work themselves out. You can talk to Dixon when you get back. Right now, we need to get you home." I nodded reluctantly and headed for the plane. Once I was in the cabin, I got comfortable in a seat and laid my head down. 'I miss you, Sydney. I wish you hadn't pushed me out. Now your life is being put on the line. I love you, Sydney.' I couldn't contain my thoughts as I fell into the comfort of sleep.  
  
***Syd's POV***  
  
Once back at the house, Sark led me inside and had me sit in the living room type area Vaughn and I had been in earlier. He left and I decided to sit. It was probably better for my all-around well-being.  
I waited about 10 minutes and then Sark came back in.  
"Things are just going splendidly. I just had a lovely conversation with Dixon and he is willing to negotiate your release. So here's what we do: You will have free reign of my house, with exceptions to some rooms. Those doors will be locked and have security measures, so don't even try. You cannot use a phone or computer, because we can't have you contacting the dear CIA, now can we. I may be gone on business or other matters, but you won't really know. I may be watching you from my security room, so keep that in mind. You'll know when the CIA is coming because I will come get you. Until then, consider this house your own." He nodded and began to turn away.  
"Should I find my way back to my cell?"  
"Come now, you aren't a prisoner. Your room is on the top floor, last door on the right. It has a great view of the ocean." He walked out and I felt like I couldn't stand. This was such the cliché Beauty and the Beast scenario. I had free reign, with the exception of his hidden rooms. All I needed was talking appliances and I was in. But, I wouldn't be falling for the Beast. No sir.  
If I was to be held here, I should probably explore and learn where everything was. The journey has just begun. (AN: OK, that was just a short little snip so that we didn't forget dear Sydney. We're going back to Vaughn now, and the despicable Lauren.)  
  
***Vaughn's POV***  
  
My eyes groggily opened as I felt the plane jolt below me. I was home, in one sense of the word. The old cliché came to my mind. 'Home is where the heart is.' Well then, my home was in Jakarta. There was a black car waiting on the runway with its lights off. Once the plane was down, the side opened into a stairway. I stepped off and went right to the car. The driver said nothing; he just drove off once I was inside.  
As we drove, I began to worry. What would I say to Lauren? How would I explain what has happened the last day and a half? There was nothing I could say that wouldn't be self-incriminating. Betraying Lauren was terrible, but lately she had seemed so distant. Maybe...  
"Mr. Vaughn, we're here."  
"Thank you." I stepped back out of the car and found I was right in front of the CIA center. 'Here goes nothing.' I walked inside and saw that everyone was waiting inside Dixon's office. Everyone, that was, except Lauren. She was sitting at my desk waiting. When she saw me, she jumped up and ran to me. Her arms came around my neck and I hugged her back. 'Idiot.'  
"Michael! I was so scared. I got back from Washington and they said that Sark had taken you and Sydney! Where is she?"  
"Sark was taking us somewhere and we were in a car. When we stopped at a light, she unlocked my door and pushed me out. I don't know where Sark took her."  
"Oh honey, I'm sure she'll be okay. Dixon is setting up a team right now."  
"I know, but..."  
"Come on, let's go in there and see what's happening." Well, I liked that idea. She took my hand and we headed to Dixon's office. Jack and Dixon were standing and Weiss, Marshall, and a redhead I didn't know were sitting on different chairs.  
"Vaughn. Welcome back. We were just discussing Sydney's retrieval." Dixon said.  
"I was told on the way back that he wants an artifact and that if it's fake, he'll kill her. So what more is there to discuss." I said. I was furious that they were not willing to give up a little artifact for her life.  
"The Covenant has been successful lately in getting multiple artifacts. Giving them yet another would just further their advantage." The redhead said.  
"Vaughn, before I forget, this is Amy Christensen, Sydney's new partner." The words felt like a knife to my heart. This was the person taking my place. She looked nice, but inside, I hated her. I nodded my head in recognition and turned back to Dixon.  
"The Covenant still has its access points, though. We still have Lisenker who has information. I don't see how you can value an item over someone's life!"  
"Jack, Amy, you go to Project Black Hole and talk with Director Smith. See if this certainly is an artifact we can do without. Marshall, I need you to go over the specs of the mansion again. That is where the trade will be taking place, so we need to make sure Sark won't try to pull something over on us. Vaughn, stay after for a minute." Lauren had a slight smirk on her face as she walked out, which could only mean something was going on. "Vaughn, you are not going to be part of the team getting Sydney back."  
"What?! Why not?"  
"First, because you're not her partner anymore. Second because Lauren has put in a request."  
"That I not go on the mission?"  
"No. She's been hassled lately with you getting taken twice. She's requested that you two take a vacation for a while."  
"Sir, I must object to that."  
"Vaughn, you haven't taken a sick day within the time you've worked for the CIA. I'm approving the request."  
"But what about Sydney?"  
"She's no longer your concern." I nodded solemnly and began to walk out. It was then, though, that I remembered something. "If you bring a fake artifact, Sark will use the genetically targeted poison."  
"How do you know that?"  
"It's targeted towards her. All he has to do is drop the vial and she dies. Just thought you'd like to know." I couldn't even stand to be near Dixon for another moment. I stormed out of the office. Lauren was waiting outside.  
"I guess Dixon told you." She said, giving me an almost puppy dog- like look.  
"Yes, and as much as I agree with the idea, I can't."  
"Michael..."  
"Lauren, she risked her life to save me and now you just want me to go off on vacation and act like nothing is wrong? He could kill her in an instant!"  
"I know, love, I know. But Dixon has everyone on it and I know that they will give Sark the artifact. Just give it a little time. But, Michael, please, I've almost lost you twice in one week. Please, just come away with me for a little while. We'll go to Fiji, just like we said we would. And get one of those bungalows on the beach. Please, Michael." I sighed. I guess if I couldn't save Sydney, then I should do something with my time. And, if the vacation went badly, I would tell Lauren that I wanted to separate. We'd just have to see.  
"All right, let's go." She looked like she could cry.  
"Thank you, honey. Why don't you head home and rest up? I'll get my stuff together and make the calls."  
"Okay, I'll see you at home." I kissed her and then turned and walked away. In my heart, I felt like I was betraying Sydney somehow. Please, forgive me.  
  
***Lauren's POV***  
I didn't want to do this! I had to go away with this man I had been forced to marry. While begging him to go, I had to keep from crying. After he left, I went to my little alcove in the CIA that I always called from.  
"It's me. He bought it."  
"Good. We're back at the house." I lost it and began to cry.  
"I don't want to go. Please, tell me you can abduct him or something. Julian, please."  
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Trust me, I would in a second. But we must wait until we get the artifact. Once Sydney is gone, maybe I'll sneak down to, Fiji is it, and visit you."  
"But Michael..."  
"We'll find a way to see each other. I'll see you soon." My voice trembled as I gave our usual response.  
"Not if I see you first, love." 


End file.
